Wed 8/14 - double, 80 minutes total

AM - 60 minutes, out and back to Mosca Pass. Woke up amongst the dunes after a less restful night than I was hoping for thanks to the wind picking up around midnight and blowing sand into the tent. Awoke a bit after sunrise but before it had peeked over the mountains, occasion for the following glamour shots:

 hey, there's my tent

 tuning fork junctions far as the eye can see

 bird and beetle tracks

 yesterday afternoon's rain in the mountains reaches the creekbed

After getting everything packed up and hauled out, followed by breakfast, it was well into the morning. Instead of repeating last year's ordeal of a trip to Medano Lake I decided to go with the trail to Mosca Pass which is bite-sized by comparison. While the trail is no joke, climbing 1500' in just over 3.5 miles to 9000' or so, generally the gradient was manageable. The last few minutes did drag on a bit however, before reaching the pass:

Feeling a bit cranky and ready for lunch so the trip back down was done with a more insistent effort and no stopping to enjoy the scenery. Overall about 35 minutes for the trip up and 25 for the return. Hamstring has felt pinched since yesterday afternoon and was bugging me throughout the run to one degree or another. Did some rolling on the lax ball immediately upon finishing, hip rotators and piriformis quite tight of course.

PM - 20 minutes very easy. Shakeout around Salida, the flat part, after a 2 hour drive and nap earlier in the afternoon. Excuse to do some stretching which was most necessary. Hamstring feels like garbage, in the belly as much as the upper insertion. The trip down the trail this morning didn't help it any but still. On a more positive note, first day without monsoon conditions since I've gotten here, hopefully the pattern will continue through the weekend.